Iwould not be lessened to those who remain for one term or the whole course. Students, as they satisfactorily complete the several studies, could receive certificates to that effect, and when they have finished the whole course could receive a Bachelor's diploma. Theological students and others who offer real equivalents for any part of the curriculum could receive credit for the same and thus materially shorten their time in the School.

The expenses to the students would probably be confined to their board, lodging, small tuition fee, and personal expenses. The scheme of merit scholarships should provide for about one-half of these expenses.

In this way it would be possible for pastors, Sunday-school superintendents and teachers to spend six weeks or twelve at the School from time to time at a moderate expense. It is impossible to over-estimate the value in instruction and inspiration of such a period of study to these busy and eager people.

The School at first ought to have an annnal Endowment. income of from $12,000 to $15,000 for the payment of salaries, lectureships and scholarships. This income ought to be provided either by an endowment or pledges covering a period of not less than five years, with some assurance that should the School justify its existence the pledges would continue and the School be adequately endowed. Some property would have to be obtained for the proper housing of the students, which would be about the only material equipment needed at the start.

Those who are interested in the Sunday-school, and who feel, as indeed all feel who know the situation, that the great need is more adequately furnished teachers and better teaching, should see in this plan an opportunity to found, maintain and amply endow a school for meeting the need. Unquestionably, this will be done somewhere by someone, and that too before long. This is the place where such a school

may be most advantageously located, and some wealthy friend of the Sunday-school cannot inaugurate the enterprise at too early a date. It will be a great service that he will thus render the cause of religious education and Christian nurture. The value of the service is incalculable. The cause waits for the man or woman. The hour strikes; who responds to its call and siezes the opportunity?

The Open Door.

The wide-spread interest in the advancement of the Sunday-school; the many efforts of various kinds and degrees of effectiveness to secure for Sunday-schools better teaching; the oft-repeated and well-founded statement that the pastors hold the key to the situation and that the better Sunday-school waits upon a ministry that is more alive to the Sunday-school problem and is better prepared to solve it; these and other considerations show the fundamental character of the demand for a School of Religious Pedagogy. Vital interests are suffering with every delay in founding it. Its usefulness in this populous region among a people whose intelligence and culture make a high type of Sunday-school peculiarly necessary, cannot be doubted. It would begin to do good from its first day, and from that date its effectiveness and permanence would depend alone upon the wisdom of its administration and the liberality of its supporters. Born full-grown and ready for its varied work, it would be immediately welcomed by a large constituency. It is difficult to see how any other agency could do more for the advancement of the Sunday-school which all gladly, gratefully believe is the most blessed institution within the Church for the advancement of the Master's kingdom and the conversion and Christian nurture of the children and youth.

The Student body of an institution constitutes a New Students procession, and a cross-section of it at any point is an interesting subject for study.

The class-rolls for the year are not yet quite complete, but as they now stand they show the following classification of the students: Post-graduate three, Seniors twenty, Middlers twenty-four, Juniors fifteen. The present total of sixty-two is an increase of three over that of last year, ten over that of two years ago. Twenty-five new men have been received this fall. Of these three have joined the Senior class, seven the Middle class, fifteen are Juniors. The new men are noticeably more mature than usual. Their average age is twenty-eight, which indicates that many of them have had other experiences of life than those of the schools. This fact should enrich our life with new interests and add to its zest and practical earnestness. The following foreign lands are represented among the new men: Japan, India, Norway, Wales, Scotland, Mexico, Colombia. Very few of the men are from New York state. The eastern colleges have fewer representatives than usual. Hamilton has the largest number, three; Princeton and Syracuse two each.

It is an interesting fact that though we this year receive men to our advanced classes from many of the other Seminaries of our church, yet not one of our own students has left us to study elsewhere. This has been the case for some years past, and is especially gratifying as an indication that those who once enter Auburn and share our life are content to remain here till their graduation.

The following paragraph in Dr. T. S. McWilliams' Auburn report to the General Assembly as chairman of its Standards Standing Committee on Theological Seminaries is worthy of note as a comment on our policy of excludHe says:

ing, so far as possible, unprepared men.

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'One section of Auburn's report is worthy of quotation and public commendation: Students presenting from other Seminaries certificates which show conditions are not admitted until the conditions are removed at the institution which

imposed them. No student is admitted without an A. B. diploma, or a satisfactory examination in studies prescribed and set forth in detail in our catalogue. In the application of these rules seventeen students failed of admission during the present year.' It is thus evident that with Auburn quality counts more than quantity. In the long run that institution will attract the best class of students which maintains a high standard of scholarship, and refuses to lower those standards to let a larger number in."

An Exchange of Professors

We have become familiar with the idea of the temporary exchange of distinguished teachers between European Universities and our own. Auburn and Union Seminaries are at present taking advantage of this principle of economy in the use of instructors. The death of our much-beloved Dr. Darling left the chair of Systematic Theology vacant here, and the extended absence of President Hall has caused a gap in the Department of Homiletics at Union. By a very fortunate arrangement Auburn has been able to secure the services of Professor William Adams Brown of Union for one day each week for the current term. Union is receiving similar services from Professor Hoyt. Professor Brown is lecturing to the Junior and Middle Classes combined on the Being and Attributes of God, and Anthropology. His treatment of these subjects is proving so attractive that many of the Seniors are taking the work as an optional.

Professor Hoyt is at present offering four courses to the students at Union : an elementary and an advanced course in the Preparation and Delivery of Sermons, the Study of Homiletics, and Lectures on the Modern Scotch and English Preachers. All these subjects are elective, and have been chosen by a gratifying number of students.

It is a pleasure to establish such personal bonds with a sister Seminary and to cooperate thus in our common work.

THE CENTRAL PURPOSE OF CHRISTS MISSION.

We come together tonight to begin another year of such study of the truth as shall make us, we hope, more capable ministers to men in the realm of the spiritual. While all the knowledge which we have hitherto gained and all the experiences through which we have lived may be serviceable to our high purpose, the purpose itself must be kept definite, clear and changeless. Through our living we are to make God attractive to men and by our teaching to show them what He requires. Both by what we are and what we are to preach we ought to seek to make our faith accord with the highest reason. We have a supremely vital business to attend to which must not be allowed to become profitless by scholasticism on the one side or by superficial, easy going consideration on the other. The New Testament when rightly considered is not so much a collection of memorabilia and Epistles, as it is a revelation of the power and principles of a spiritual life. It is these we are after by the way both of intellectual investigation and humble obedience. Our highest equipment for hopeful and helpful service will be at last not in what we know about the Bible-good as that may be-but in what we see and know and feel of its unchanging and unchangeable vital truth. With that we can go anywhere, at any time, to all men. It is ultimate, basal, final. I am led to speak thus because I earnestly feel that more than ever do we need now to make clear the distinction between what is vital to faith and what is not. We are to answer life-questions. We must not get them confused with questions of lesser moment. Intellectually we may satisfy ourselves with "systems of truth;" æsthetically, we may please ourselves with orderliness and dignity in forms of worship. Life itself must be touched with something more elemental and penetrative than these if it is to be truly genuinely religious.

In recent years an earnest attempt has been made to get a